The Afrika Reich
What if Dunkirk had been the end of Britain’s war against the Nazis?
‘Fatherland for an action movie age.’ Daily Telegraph
1952. It is more than a decade since humiliation at Dunkirk brought an end to Britain’s war and the beginning of an uneasy peace with Hitler.
In Africa, the swastika flies from the Sahara to the Indian Ocean. Gleaming autobahns bisect the jungle, jet fighters patrol the skies. The brutal presence of the SS is visible everywhere. Now, however, the demonic plans of Walter Hochburg – architect of Nazi Africa – threaten Britain’s ailing colonies.
In England, ex-mercenary Burton Cole is offered one last contract. Burton jumps at the chance to settle an old score with Hochburg, despite the protests of the woman he loves. If Burton fails, unimaginable horrors will be unleashed in Africa. No one – black or white – will be spared.
But when his mission turns to disaster, Burton is forced to flee for his life. His flight takes him from the unholy killing ground of Kongo to SS slave camps and on to war-torn Angola, finally reaching its thrilling climax in a conspiracy that leads to the dark heart of the Afrika Reich itself.
Guy Saville combines meticulous research with edge-of-the seat suspense to produce a superb novel of alternate history.
‘Fatherland for an action movie age.’ Daily Telegraph
1952. It is more than a decade since humiliation at Dunkirk brought an end to Britain’s war and the beginning of an uneasy peace with Hitler.
In Africa, the swastika flies from the Sahara to the Indian Ocean. Gleaming autobahns bisect the jungle, jet fighters patrol the skies. The brutal presence of the SS is visible everywhere. Now, however, the demonic plans of Walter Hochburg – architect of Nazi Africa – threaten Britain’s ailing colonies.
In England, ex-mercenary Burton Cole is offered one last contract. Burton jumps at the chance to settle an old score with Hochburg, despite the protests of the woman he loves. If Burton fails, unimaginable horrors will be unleashed in Africa. No one – black or white – will be spared.
But when his mission turns to disaster, Burton is forced to flee for his life. His flight takes him from the unholy killing ground of Kongo to SS slave camps and on to war-torn Angola, finally reaching its thrilling climax in a conspiracy that leads to the dark heart of the Afrika Reich itself.
Guy Saville combines meticulous research with edge-of-the seat suspense to produce a superb novel of alternate history.
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Reviews
Saville gives us an horrific reimagining of the Dark Continent
[the] plot is clever, imaginative and, in its finale, wholly unexpected. In a crowded field, THE AFRIKA REICH stands out as a rich and unusual thriller, politically sophisticated and hard to forget.
THE AFRIKA REICH is a gripping novel and a remarkable exercise in alternate history.
Set in a world in which Britain made peace with Hitler after 1940, this account of a mercenary mission to Africa makes for an engrossing and convincing debut.
Fatherland for an action movie age
If readers like terrifying stories behind a dense layer of historical depiction this is an unexpected and unforgettable story that they must read.
Promises to intrigue readers with an imaginative tale of what might have been . . . crafted as a fast-paced political thriller . . . offers readers an abundance of espionage, double-dealing, intrigue and scenes of Nazi sadism, all of which culminate in a not-to-be-divulged ending. Saville's tale is noteworthy not merely for transferring the nightmare of a victorious Nazi Reich to an exotic location, but for shifting our attention to new features of Nazi criminality.
A thoroughly enjoyable and compelling read
This graphic, pacy alternate history thriller is scarily convincing.
An enthralling look at the horror that might have been if Germany was not defeated
With THE AFRIKA REICH, Guy Saville has delivered a highly entertaining read in the vein of Robert Harris' Fatherland and Archangel. Selling us us on a plausible and engrossing alternative history, featuring rich characters (who he's not afraid to kill off) and a fastpaced plot.
Gripping
Saville's alternate world is so carefully crafted that it is all too believable.
Saville's alternative world is so carefully crafted, so meticulously researched and so convincing that it is easy to believe it all might have been possible.
[an] intoxicating debut . . . a glorious, exhaustingly energetic romp through an Africa which wasn't, but which might have been . . . Written with style, verve and startling lyricism, THE AFRIKA REICH makes serious points as it entertains.
Guy Saville's scorching debut novel [is] a terrifying account of the way things might have been . . . When this dark and dystopian world is coupled with a cast of credible characters, Machiavellian plot twists, cinematic action scenes and pulsating suspense, the story becomes irresistible . . . Immaculately researched and with accompanying notes to put the story into its context, THE AFRIKA REICH is an exciting first novel which blends history and fiction into an unforgettable drama.
Don't miss this explosive blockbuster . . . a blood-pulsing and convincing read.
Gripping, well-researched and terrifyingly plausible, this is a fast-paced, ambitious book that paves the way for its sequel with a jaw-dropping twist.
it would certainly be fair to say that the page-turning speed and the gritty action displayed in this novel are at times as good - if not better - than the fiction of McNab and Chris Ryan. But The Afrika Reich also has believable characters, many of whom have real emotional depth, and this really adds another layer to the novel, making it far more than 'just another thriller
Saville delivers thrills worthy of Len Deighton, Alistair McLean, and other masters of the WW2 thriller, in a way that's both action packed and thought provoking, which is a difficult trick to pull off. Bravo.
[A] dark and gruesome narrative dynamic.